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C-27J Spartan Lands at Sofia Airport

Photo Atina PavlovaThe newest airplane of the Bulgarian Air Forces, the C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft, landed at the Sofia Airport yesterday at noon, and was welcomed with a dazzling ceremony, which was attended by Bulgaria's Defense Minister Veselin Bliznakov, officers from the Bulgarian Air Forces, and Italy's Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. Gian Battista Campagnola.
The airplane was scheduled to land in Sofia last week, but its arrival was delayed due to problems with the customs officials.
"We are proud to participate in this project and we will continue to cooperate with you in the future. The USA has already ordered two hundred such airplanes to Alenia Aeronautica, which is also the provider of C-27J Spartan to Bulgaria," Mr. Campagnola said.
Minister Bliznakov said that Spartan was compatible with C-130 Hercules, the older transport airplane of the Bulgarian air forces, and its maintenance would be fairly easy. Under an offset program worth twenty-two million euro, Bulgaria will also receive a new airplane shed, a set of spare parts and a training course for pilots and technicians.
"We expect that our air forces will obtain four more airplanes C-27J Spartan," the minister said.
The aircraft will carry Bulgarian troopers on mission abroad.